The Dillon tribune., 1887-04-08
TIE ALPS IN WINTER.
An ENGLisHuAN CROSSING BY THE
ALCULA EASS IN A STORM.

| ~'-'
Skill of an Experienced Guitle-ra'l
Over IL Prec;picc-An Almost N1iracu.
lous Escape.
vas informed tha: in some part, CT the
Eae.' t-!crc were masses OF Sno" fourteen
IN sixteen feet deep, and it would be all
but impossible to get through them. AS
persisted il: my determination, however,
at length s;!ccoc:lc il obtaining the scrv-
les OF u sturdy peasant who knew every
inch OF tho route and who was tempted by
the lbcr:l fee | offered him. We left
Ecrsun soon aitcr IL with well stocked
knapiic,i Of provisions, including q bottle
of old brandy. IN hour later the sky had
| cloudcd over, the sun had quito disap-
Eearca and little wrcaths Of powdery
snow filled tho ar.
AS VIC approached the majestic and ter
ri1ic Tcnfclsthal tie snow thickencd and
fell i'll large, compact flakes, while the
guct OF deadly wind came up with a roar
from the awful ravinc where the Albula
thundcrs i'll it's rocky bed 300 feet below
the roadway. The whole landscape was
0biitcrntcd, and it was impossible to see
half dozen yards ahead. The road itself
was entirely lost, but tho guide, with un-
erring instinct, traced the way, clcvcrly
avoiding the prccipiccs and the drifts,
though now and again VIC found ourselves
struggling up to tho waist in soft accu-
mutations on thc road itself. Dy the timo
we had painfully toilcd up to the well
known stone bridge which spans the awful
ra1inc, the wind was blowing a gale,
while the snow was binding. We came
within an acc of plunginy down into the
rocky chasm; for the snow was level
with the parapct of Tie bridge, over
which 1t curle,l in a great cornice.
rEHILors ENTERTAINING.
Here, for the first time perhaps, we
fully realized the hazardous nature Of the
undertaking. But to turn back was out
OF tie question, as that would have been
even worse than going on. From tho
bridge t.lc read Is carried over the face Of
q s,upcndoUs prcciCicc and thence to
bcuc.'e' on to IN extensive plain. Ecfprc
opening upon the plain the dcfilc is OK.
cecalnSly narrow, and through this the
wind swept with such terrific force, and
was so charged with co:4pact snow, that
slN different times were we driven back
INTO the shelter of the projcctin. rocks
t.,at broke tho force of the cruel blasts.
At length, t1king advantage OF Il lull, We
!orccu the passage and gained the open.
conlc5" that here l almost lost heart.
The icy wind seemed to blow clean through
ohc, ana 1t stuEg the exposed parts OF the
lace like whip cords. Allnround appeared
70 be solid wall Of snow. The flakes
we're as large rs five shilling pieces, and
almost blinded one. Conversation was out
)f the question, for it was was jm,ossibL
% hear each other, while the cxcrtion re-
lnireu to make progress at all was cx-
cxhausting.
No on: who hadn't been born among
lcsc mountains and who had not spent Il
nct!mc in such tlcsoiatc regions could
possibly have found his way md must in
vltably have pcrisllcl. Eut my guide,
WIN one or two exceptions, never once
ccinca to go astray. For myself, fol-
owed in his tracks mechanically. I was
luhlbcd ana droWsy, and he had the ap-
earance to me OF Il white spcct.r only
imly seen. Although By the hour there
mould have been plenty of daylight, tho
II was da"kcnca by II t!ic, snow. and I
eSan to very seriously doubt whether il
Vas at all possible to reach our dastinn-
ION. inc :,uiue had similar thoughts. fo,
ooa after he stopped and shouted IN nv
III tsl;!t t.,cio was " shephcrl's hut some
acre &bout there, ard it woul, he as
'r'l to Try "n'l 1iu: it and sh ltc,. in it for
Aa Ei&ht. [ readily ac1uicsced in this
'o.H,3"i, ana We turned Off at an au~le
:il 'orSGt :lc;:l for about !, Quarter of
II h"tr, "nc'i, with &tartliH. .ud,!cu,ccs
!e ;sh.lc Hl'2ppc2:c,l--wi,crc knew not.
oAiy hhcW 1.lt Ec had gone out OF NV
ls'oH, ahh | was left alone in that t.llastlv
.''oll ol death. with tho appalling roar
lac Wiilu and the river LAUNDERING in ,
~ ears.
oVE!. A PRECIrtCE. ,
l stood Tor i moment and shouted, but !
!! 'c!cc was drowned by the wind. and
'arccly heard it myself. determined to
'! ana discover what had become of NV
'"l.'ahloil. anu render him assistance. if
'edcu. Ana so, liS" u blind man rron-
= along, advanced cautiously, probing ,
lc sno'" witt, my alpenstuck, hu. st,l,lcn- ,,
my lect seemed to go from Under mo !
~ felt myself falling through the air :
ne next thing that I was conscious Of
as That was buried in the snow .rd !
us si.locat!n:,. raised my hands with ,
''!1e olii,cuity and cleared the SNOW from ,
, 'hoath ana was then able to breathe. :
NJ heN' moment heard q voice very close
me anu never in all my life haze i heard 8
mat sounded SO welcome as did :,
IL, human No.cc in that awful moment :.
oea;!'y peril. managed to turn round ,
~ s;" about & yard away the head and :
o''ie'S OF my companion. The situation :
rs GEAR now; We had plunged over a y
Sc'nce about ten feet anl fallen into n \
':' ~ sho" ,'riit. I'VE must set out of -
rs immediately" he said calraly, "or :;
+, ocsI men, lie had retained Eos y
ssi'n OF MS ;;lpcnstoc!1, and hc ,-ayc ~, :. !.
10 END OF it, and by this means. but only
'.n tr'He difficulty, he was enabled to
:.I'ta', ''il'Scf. We fortified ourselves
.,n ~, . sIf"1S dose of brandy, ana he then
y ''ef' .s III" ont ai'l we scrambled by tho :.
:" "n1 W ."'i,' o':'lcs to tho road again.
:. Nv eo.' was increasing, night WAS COM e
: -. OIL sss.u 'He snow was thic!;cning. We u